Filed under: Breast Cancer , Alternative Therapies , Drug , Colon and Rectal Cancer , Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma) , Melanoma , Prevention

Filed under: Alternative Therapies , Melanoma , Prevention "I would not like to be in a canoe on the river because it was so big and wide; and yet here I am. I guess I have gradually become accustomed to the size. There are a lot of things in life like that. If you focus on all the potential problems, there are many things that you will not even try to begin. However, once you get involved in doing something, the problems are often not as bad as you first thought. The key is to just take each problem as it comes and do not be obsessed with the problems not yet here." -- Mississippi Howl Allan Roden was diagnosed with melanoma that had spread. Dianne, his wife of twenty-seven years took a sabbatical from work to spend time with Allan during his last months of life. They had both shared a dream to paddle the length of the Mississippi river, but now it looked like a dream too late to be realized. With nothing left to lose, more than he was about to lose, which was everything, he signed up for a clinical trial testing a new immune therapy. He recovered. The dream of the river was about to come true. Allan and Dianne Roden, with Annie, their Australian Cattle Dog, set off for a river adventure in a small home-made, cedar-strip canoe. As they traveled the Mississippi river, they kept journals, the result being a book called Mississippi Howl. "With the high water level, campsites were really hard to find again today. We finally found one that was on an island with a sign that said, "Posted DMPD". Damn if I know what that means. We decided it meant "Dumb Morons Permitted if Desperate" and stopped to set up camp. So far we have had no problems." To read more excerpts and see photos of the trip, visit Dianne's webpage . Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Alternative Therapies , Prevention My pal Murphy does not have cancer. But, while looking through my book on Rat Terriers, I came across a valuable source of information to share with you. Did you know the number one killer disease for dogs is cancer? Of the ten most common fatal diseases in dogs, cancer is the cause of 47 percent of disease. The risk of cancer increases as your pet ages, but cancer can happen at any stage of your pet's life. One in five dogs will develop cancer, with skin cancer being the most common type. As with humans, early detection can save a dog's life. The early warning signs of cancer in dogs are:

• Abnormal bumps or lumps that continue to grow.
• Bleeding or discharge from any body cavity.
• Persistent stiffness or lameness.
• Recurrent sores or sores that do not heal.
• Lack of appetite.
• Breathing difficulties.
• Weight loss.
• Bad breath or odors.
• General malaise or fatigue.
• Eating or swallowing difficulties.
• Difficulty urinating and defecating.

If you notice any unusual symptoms or behaviors in your pet, seek medical attention with a qualified veterinarian. In addition, it is reported that many cancers, including prostate, ovarian and breast cancer in dogs can be avoided by spaying or neutering. A cancer prevention diet for your dog would include more fish-based foods and less meat-based foods. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Prostate Cancer , Alternative Therapies , Drug , Melanoma , Prevention In 2003, University of Idaho and Utah State University researchers cloned three mules. The success of the cloning came about by manipulating calcium levels. Calcium affects how quickly cells divide. The researchers are hoping that calcium levels and function might explain why horses and mules develop cancer at much lower rates than humans. Because of these cloning facts and findings, they base a possible hypothesis for discovering a key to cancer on the fact that calcium imbalances are indicators of human prostate cancer and diabetes . According to a news report aired on KBCI News in Boise, Idaho, no male horse or mule has ever been diagnosed with prostate cancer and melanoma does not metastasize in their bodies. Two of the three healthy cloned mules, Idaho Star and Idaho Gem, are preparing to race in Winnemucca, Nevada at the Mule Races and Draft Horse Challenge. The cloned mules will gain worldwide attention next week when they become the first cloned mules to participate in a sporting competition. Perhaps one day, cloned mules will help win the race in a cure for cancer. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma) , Melanoma , Prevention The Pittsburgh Pirates have boarded the American Academy of Dermatology, AAD, vessel to join forces in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most skin cancer screenings performed in a single day. On May 6, AAD and local dermatologists are hoping to set a world record for the most skin cancer screenings in a single day by asking everyone to participate in a free day of skin cancer screening. The three main locations are New York City; South Street Seaport, Washington, DC; Union Station Mall and Chicago Navy Pier. The AAD world record webpage provides a map showing locations in each state where free skin cancer screenings will take place. But even if it wasn't free, getting screened for skin cancer is a smart move for pirates and landlubbers alike who spend many hours in the sun. More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year and nearly 11,000 people will die from skin cancer. With early detection and diagnosis, 95 percent of skin cancer can be cured. The Pirates organization has agreed to be screened for skin cancer by local dermatologists this summer as part of the Play Smart When It Comes to the Sun program, a public service partnership with Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Alternative Therapies , Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma) , Melanoma , Prevention Environment Canada meteorologists are warning people who enjoy spending time in the sun to do less so this year. As the ozone layer continues to thin, the danger for sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer continues to increase . The ozone layer is not protecting us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation as much as it once did. According to Environment Canada, the ozone layer across Canada has decreased by four to eight per cent over winter and spring, and the more sunny days there during the summer season, the more skin cancer risk to those who spend time outdoors. Counting on sunscreen lotion to protect from the damaging rays of the bright day sun is no longer sufficient. Skin cancer experts insist, to be safe, stay out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- if you must be outside -- stay in the shade. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and quality sunglasses that offer protection from UVA and UVB radiation, and a long-sleeved shirt. Gone are the care-free days of walking out the door in shorts and a summer top, to spend the day enjoying the warmth and brightness of a summer day. Or, for sun worshippers, a day basking in the sun to achieve the golden tan. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma) , Melanoma , Prevention In the April issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, the American Academy of Dermatology, AAD, warns of a pending skin cancer epidemic . Mayo Clinic researchers have found that the more common type of skin cancer, basal cell, tripled between 1976 and 2003, while the rate of squamous cell cancers increased four-fold for women under 40 years of age. Researchers believe this is the result of tanning bed use. According to the researchers, "Two types of ultraviolet light are linked to skin cancers. UVA, which penetrates deeper into the skin and weakens its immune defenses, is more responsible for melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer. UVB exposure causes sunburn, as well as squamous and basal cell skin cancers. Tanning beds emit UVA. Intense UVA exposure poses a greater risk of melanoma skin cancer than does spending long hours in the sun." To be sun safe, the American Academy of Dermatology advises against the use of tanning beds. For the look of a tan, they suggest using a sunless self-tanning product. As for maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D -- do so with a supplement. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Childhood , Melanoma , Prevention According to nine lawsuits filed in a California court against the makers of five of the most popular sunscreen brands in the U.S. -- Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, Banana Boat, Neutrogena and BullFrog -- sunscreen makers have been misleading consumers on how well their lotions block the sun's harmful rays, putting millions of people at risk of skin cancer . The sunscreen makers are accused of  exaggerating the effectiveness of sunscreens. One lawyer suggests that misleading labeling gives parents a false sense of safety when using suncreen to protect their children from the harmful rays of the sun. The SPF rating on a label only indicates a sunscreen lotion's ability to block UVB rays, not UVA rays. Damaging UVA rays can lead to skin cancer. Sunscreen manufacturers do not agree with the assertions made in the lawsuits. These lawsuits will certainly raise the level of awareness and discussion about the safety of sunscreens. In the meantime, there are other ways a parent can protect their children from the damaging rays of the sun. In Pediatricians need to educate parents about sun exposure risks , some suggestions include: staying out of the sun during peak hours of 10a.m. to 4p.m., wearing a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses, keeping newborns out of the sun, and teaching children good sun-protective practices. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Prostate Cancer , Melanoma Austrian Academy of Sciences and University of Toronto researchers have identified a protein, RANKL, linked to the spread of breast, prostate and skin cancer cells to the bones . The researchers were able to block RANKL, which is produced in bone marrow, from directing tumor cells to the bone. "RANKL is a protein which tells cancerous cells to come to it," said Professor Josef Penninger, of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. "It sits on the bones and when tumor cells circulate in the body RANKL attracts them into the bones." An estimated 70 percent of patients with progressive breast cancer and 84 percent of advanced prostate cancer sufferers develop bone metastases. For a person living with cancer, the fear of cancer spreading into the bones is possibly one of the greatest worries. Even when a cancer patient is told their cancer has been successfully treated, the worry of cancer spreading continues to sit in the back of a cancer survivor's mind. RANKL could explain why certain cancers spread to the bones and how interfering with the process could help to prevent the spread of the disease. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments